Bif Naked Biography

Born on June 17, 1971 in New Delhi, India, Beth Torbert, a.k.a. Bif Naked, was put up for adoption by her teenage mother soon after birth. Two American missionaries adopted her, and after two years of waiting for bureaucratic red tape to clear, the new family left India for the United States.

As a child, Tolbert moved frequently, from South Dakota to Minnesota, and then to Kentucky. When she was 13, the family moved once again, this time to Winnipeg, Canada, so that her father could begin a new job as a professor. It was there that the persona of Bif Naked was born, as Torbert grew into a skateboarder and punk-rock-loving teenager.

When Bif began attending the University of Winnipeg, her parents were under the impression that she was a serious theater student, but the truth was that she was skipping class to practice her vocals as the singer for the local band Jungle Milk. She went on the road with Jungle Milk, after which she returned to Canada and experimented with three other bands before branching out on her own.

Bif released her first album in 1995, and the self-titled release made noise as an experimental, creative effort. Three years later, Bif's second album, I Bificus, became one of the year's best-selling albums in Canada thanks to the hit single "Moment of Weakness." Subsequent albums Purge and 2005's Superbeautifulmonster featured fan favorites like "I Love Myself Today" and "Let Down." After four albums and a 'best of' release, Bif Naked is Canada's favorite female punk rocker and is well positioned to break into the US market.